Pill box



0a. 15, 1935. E. G. DE VALERA 2,017,685

PILL BOX Filed March 2, 1934 INVENTOR 11 15 zmmafi zazem.

ink ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PILL BOX Ernest G. De Valera, New York, N. Y.

Application March 2, 1934, Serial No. 713,671

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers in general and particularly to the kind adapted for holding and dispensing tablets, pills, and like articles of a predetermined uniform size.

' One of the objects of this invention is to provide an inexpensive, simple, easily operable device of this kind, provided with means for facilicating the dispension from within the container of pellets, pills, tablets, or the like, each representing a unit of a predetermined dosage,

in such a manner, that they may leave the container only one at a time.

Another object of this invention is to provide in connection with such container, a readily op- -erative cover which may be manipulated by the thumb of one hand to either its opening or closing position for the purpose of either dispensing the contents, or for preventing the latter from leaving the container.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the container that its component parts, that is to say the bottom and the top, will hold together, once these parts are forcibly associated with one another.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the several component parts of the device as to render 'them interchangeable, thereby assuring inexpensiveness both in the manufacture and the assembly.

The foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, which latter is intended to illustrate the principle of my invention, without limiting me to the actual details shown.

In the drawing: Fig. 1 is a top view of my device in its closed position, as presently preferred,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my device,

Fig. 4 is a top View of the upper portion of my device,

Fig. 5 is an end elevation thereof,

5 Fig. 6 is a top view of the lower or bottom por' tion of my device,

Fig. '7 is an end elevation thereof, Fig. 8 is a plane view of the hinged cover of my device, 50 Fig. 9 is an end view thereof, and

Fig. 10 is a top or plane view of my complete device with the hinged cover shown open.

Before describing my device in detail, as shown in the drawing, I shall generally outline the prin- 55 ciple of my invention. The device, as I have it in mind, constitutes a receptacle made of three component parts, of which two of the parts represent the bottom and top portions, respectively, while the third part forms an operative member of the top portion. All these parts are 5 intended to be stamped out or otherwise formed so that their manufacturing cost is reduced to a minimum, and so that their assembly is simple, effective and lasting.

Referring now to the figures, numeral II] de- 10 notes the top member of my device, shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5, which consists of a dished or deeply drawn stamping, having preferably rounded corners, indicated at H and II. The portion of the top member in the vicinity of 15 corner II is somewhat reduced in its dimensions, and in this reduced portion there is formed a cutout or aperture 12, intended for facilitating the dispension of the articles placed into the container. Adjacent to cut-out I2 are provided pin- 20 tle sockets l3, the purpose of which will become presently evident.

The bottom member of my device is indicated at I4 and shown clearly in Figures 6 and '7. This bottom member also represents a relative deeply 25 drawn stamping, the exterior peripheral contours of which correspond with the interior contours of top member Ill. These two members are intended to be telescoped with one another, after the bottom container is filled with the desired 30 number of pellets, tablets or pills. The outer peripheral dimensions of the bottom member must so exactly tally with the interior dimensions of top members, that when these two members are telescoped they will hold together, 35 due to their frictional engagement with each other.

Adapted to cover apertures l2, provided in the top member, there is shown a hinged cover member l5, illustrated in detail in Figures 8 and 9. 40 This cover consists of a triangular formation with one of its corners I6 rounded off, to correspond with the somewhat reduced portion near corner ll of the top member. The two edges adjacent to rounded corner l6 are dished or flanged as indicated at H, while its straight edge I8 is formed into a pintlet extension l9, provided with two pintles 26. These pintles are intended to engage sockets I3 so that cover I6 becomes hingedly connected with top member I0. From Figure 4 it will be clearly seen that the material between sockets I3 is somewhat indented so that when the pintles 20, which are flat, are turned with their edges perpendicular to top member In, cover IE will be held under slight tension in its fixed, open position. This provision is advantageous for the purposeof permitting the dispension of a pellet from the container without the necessity of holding hinged cover member l8 forcibly in open position.

A tight fit between cover member I6 and the corresponding portion of top member l assures the cover member remaining in its closed position, while the container is carried about. Nevertheless, the cover is easily swung upwards through a simple movement of the thumb of the hand holding the container, and the cover will stay open until returned to its closed position,- 1

again by the movement of the thumb.

In the drawing I have illustrated an oblong container. It is quite obvious however that the container may be constructed 'in any desired shape, such as square, hexagonal. octagonal, or in any other suitable form in which at least one portion of the container has a convenient place, at which a dispensing aperture with a hinged covermay be provided. Thus the container may assume even a round shape, and the hinged cover may correspondingly form a segment.

In view of the fact that my device is capable of a great many variations, as just explained, it is obvious that I shall not be limited to the construction shown in the drawings, and I therefore reserve for myself the right to, make such changes and improvements as may become necessary in the course of manufacture of my device, without departing from the broad scope of my invention, as set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, two telescoping, dished members, their dished portions being in frictional engagement with one another, one of said members provided with a reduced corner portion having a content dispensing aperture, said portion being offset below the plane of said member, a pair of pintle receiving sockets provided adjacent to said aperture, a flanged cover for said aperture provided with pintlets in engagement with the sockets of said apertured member, said cover adapted to either overlap said reduced corner portion and its aperture, in its normal, closing position, or to expose said aperture when temporarily swung upwards, and means provided with said apertured member and said cover for holding the latter in its temporary open position, when desired, said cover, when closed, lying substantially in the plane of said member.

.2. In a device of the class described, two dished members, the exterior peripheral dimensions of one of the members being substantially identical with the interior peripheral dimensions of the other member, both members in telescoping and frictional engagement with one another, the 5 larger member provided at one corner with an aperture, a pair of pintle-receiving sockets located at the top surface of said larger member near said aperture, the corner portion of the apertured member in the vicinity of the aperture being offset below the plane, and in respect to the sides of said member, a cover provided with a pintlet extension, terminating in two pintles, said pintles being in engagement with the sockets provided in said apertured member, an indentation provided between the two sockets, said pintlet extension adapted to cooperate with said indentation, said cover member provided with a flanged edge adapted to register with the reduced corner portion of said apertured member, said pintlet extension and said indentation between the sockets of the apertured member adapted to hold the cover in its open position when desired, said cover, when closed, lying substantially in the plane of said member, and its flanged sides in the plane of the sides of the member.

3. In a device of the class described, a substantially rectangular, dished bottom member having rounded corners, a correspondingly shaped dished top member provided with an aperture at one of its rounded corners, these members telescoping with one another and held together by frictional engagement of their dished edges, the portion of the top member surrounding the apertured corner being offset in respect to the top surface and the sides of said member, a pair of pintle-receiving sockets provided near the aperture at the flat surface of the top member, and disposed angularly to the sides of the latter, a hinged cover member corresponding to, 4 and associated with the offset corner of the top member and provided with a flanged corner edge and with a pintlet extension, the latter terminating in two pintles in engagement with the sockets of the top member, said pintles cooperating with I said sockets so that when said cover member is swung to its open position, it will remain in that position, until forced to its closing position, said cover, when closed, lying with its top surface substantially in the plane of the top surface of said member, while its flanged edges lie in the plane of the sides of said member.

ERNEST G. DE VALERA. 

